Spotlight Announcement

9/20/2005: Jail-Based Recommendations and Programs in the Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council

Most of the policy statements and specific recommendations in the Report of the Reentry Policy Council are equally pertinent to both prisons and jails. In fact, Parts I (Planning a Reentry Initiative) and III (Elements of Effective Health and Social Service Systems) of the Report deal with important aspects of reentry that are relatively independent of the type of facility from which a re-entering individual is released.

Moreover, the vast majority of the recommendations in Part II (Review of the Reentry Process: From Admission to the Institution to Return to the Community) are equally applicable to both jail and prison populations. There are, however, several explicit recommendations for jail-based programs. To highlight these recommendations, we have collected them below; in addition, we have included examples of jail-based programs spotlighted in the Report.

Jail-based recommendations in the Report of the Reentry Policy Council

• Develop an intake procedure appropriate to a short-term jail setting
• Creatively adapt the program planning model for shorter-term jail stays
• Ensure that even short-term inmates receive basic medical care and transition planning services
• Implement evidence-based treatment services that make the best use of available resources

Examples of Jail-Based Programs in the Report of the Reentry Policy Council

• Allegheny Count Jail Collaborative: Allegheny County Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services, and Health Department (PA) The Allegheny County Jail Collaborative provides coordinated leadership and a single conduit for multiple county agencies and service providers to help inmates transition from incarceration to community.
• Social Mentoring Academic and Rehabilitative Training (SMART) Program: Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail (CA) The SMART Program provides health treatment, drug rehabilitation, GED classes, anger management, and life skills training to gay male inmates in LA County Jail
• Hampden County Correctional and Community Health Program: Hampden County Sheriff's Department (MA) The Hampden County Correctional and Community Health Program is a collaborative effort between the county jail, four community health centers, and other agencies in Hampden County, which allows the same health care providers to care for patients in jail and after release in the community.
• Offender Reentry Program: Suffolk County and Hampden County Sheriff's Departments (MA) The Offender Reentry Program is a collaborative effort between the Hampden County and Suffolk County Sheriff's Departments to provide services both pre- and post- release in order to reduce recidivism and maintain public safety.
• Data Link Project: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Value Options (AZ) The Data Link Project allows Value Options, the Maricopa County Regional Behavioral Health Authority, access to the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office booking information in order to identify individuals who may be eligible for diversion from the criminal justice system.

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